The recipe for the third Jo’burg Art Fair, at the Sandton Convention Centre from March 24-26, contains much the same ingredients as before.

Expectations of a wholesale collapse of commercial galleries proved a chimera, and while the fair has lost Warren Siebrits, Bell-Roberts and Erdmann galleries, they have been replaced, so that the total number of galleries is a virtually unchanged 23. One initiative that Ross Douglas (CEO of Artlogic, which organises the fair) sees as part of an increasingly important relationship is the development of joint initiatives between industry and artists.

Fabric house St Leger & Viney, for instance, is sponsoring a fabric designed by Lawrence Lemaoana, which will be displayed around the hall. New secondary sponsor Grolsch (an SAB brand) has commissioned a sculpture in green glass from Martli Jansen van Rensburg, while Pirelli has asked Willem Boshoff to create what Douglas calls a work in sand inspired by Pirelli tyres – though the press release says it will be in granite.

FNB has renewed its primary sponsorship for three years. Alfa Romeo has taken over the sponsorship of the Art Talks, while the Goethe Institute will again bring out speakers from Germany.

In associated events, Gordon Schachat is sponsoring an exhibition by US-based but SA-born Siemon Allen, comprising 12 print enlargements of rare SA LPs, and Graham’s Fine Art has curated an exhibition of SA Modernist Art. In all, 11 special projects will accompany the fair.

Douglas says that, given the economic environment, it has been a difficult year for finding sponsors, which is why he’s so pleased with the industry-artist joint projects. Industry, he rightly says, has resources on a scale way beyond what’s available to artists. Whether these initiatives will be enough to lure back those who attended the first two fairs remains to be seen.